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This Issue: English: the Big Picture Issue 22: NATE Spring 2020 This Issue: English: The Big Picture “We need to allow English to be big, expansive, broad and inclusive in all kinds of different ways.” ‘Big Picture’ English Barbara Bleiman The Magazine of the National Association NATE for the Teaching of English © The Full English (education) Ltd Illustration by Ben Westley Clarke benwestleyclarke.com Choose a poem – learn it by heart- perform it in school/college For this free illustrated poem and other resources for teaching poetry: poetrybyheart.org.uk/teachingzone Blake London A4 colour ad for NATE.indd 1 17/02/2020 18:24 Editorial Big Picture English: Hand, Head, Heart and Voice This issue of Teaching English takes its theme from Barbara Bleiman’s inspiring Harold Rosen Lecture – ‘Big Picture English: Beyond the Brushstrokes’ – given at last summer’s NATE Conference. In her superbly argued and illustrated talk, Barbara pinpointed an overwhelming trend in English teaching in England Editor in recent years: a move away from what she characterises as ‘macro’ reading Gary Snapper – reading of texts with an emphasis on the spirit, style and meanings of the whole text, rooted in students’ responses to the text, negotiated through class Design discussion, and developed through creative and critical activity of various kinds Ledgard Jepson Ltd – towards a focus on ‘micro’ reading – reading small sections of text in formulaic ways for the purpose of writing examination-style close reading responses in Printing the form of paragraphs and essays. Buxton Press Ltd Every article in this edition of the magazine in some way points towards the generous and engaging approach to English which this idea of ‘big picture’ ISSN 2051-7971 English suggests – starting with NATE Chair Peter Thomas’s call for the subject to restate its vision as a humane discipline. Helen Mars makes a strong Teaching English is the professional journal statement of this vision in her account of her department’s decision to re-think of NATE, the National Association for the its GCSE course in order to ensure that it appeals to and develops the ‘hand, Teaching of English, published three times head, heart and voice’ of every student. a year in March, June and October. The views expressed in the magazine are those From KS2 to ITE, from Shakespeare to Standup of the authors and do not necessarily reflect This edition also seeks to track the ‘big picture’ of English from primary the views of the association. school to university. In addition to Helen Mars’ KS4 article mentioned above, Raina Parker and Carol Robertson write about the combined challenge of the Contributions to the magazine are very pastoral and the academic in the transition from KS2 to KS3 English; NATE’s welcome. Notes for contributors may be Management Committee presents its ‘position paper’ suggesting ways forward found at www.nate.org.uk. Contact the editor for KS3 English at a time when it is increasingly seen as extended preparation by email at [email protected]. for GCSE; Claire Feeney challenges us to develop the skills of independent study and critical literacy that our KS5 students will need ‘to shape a better Cover info: Collage of images representing future’ in our increasingly febrile society; Robert Eaglestone encourages us to Ripon Grammar School’s new KS4unit on ‘The join in English: Shared Futures, a celebration of the discipline led by HE English Literature and Language of Protest’: John Agard, but seeking to bring teachers from schools and universities together; and Clare Greta Thunberg, Emma Watson and Martin Lawrence reflects on what recently qualified teachers make of their ITE. Luther King (see page 17–19). This edition also reflects the ‘big picture’ of English in its coverage of the breadth of the English curriculum – taking in media, drama, literature, language, creative writing, academic writing, art – and even stand-up comedy! Andrew Themes for future editions of Burn’s account of classroom work with KS4 students creating videogames Teaching English: based on Macbeth shows how a ‘big picture’ approach to Shakespeare can take June 2020 – English and diversity in an integrated view of English as media, drama and literature whilst still October 2020 – English across the British Isles preparing students for GCSE. On the language front, Francis Gilbert suggests February 2021 – Poetry humane approaches to SPaG which engage students in identifying meaning, purpose and audience, whilst Mick Connell reflects on the LINC project thirty years later. Trevor Millum and Chris Warren continue their journey of ‘39 Steps’ through enjoyable approaches to poetry, Jonathan Morgan recommends Arvon Creative Writing courses, and, in our classroom research column, Vincent Byrne explains his search for a solution to the problem of writing frameworks such as PEE, PETAL, etc. Anna Foster and Andrew McCallum encourage us to build students’ confidence in writing through response to art on the one hand, NATE and personal writing on the other – whilst Martin Billingham suggests that Aizlewood’s Mill what English teachers do is surprisingly closely related to stand-up comedy. Nursery Street Finally, as usual, the news and what’s on pages Sheffield cover key topical issues and events, Tom Rank S3 8GG provides us with his regular review of English in Tel: 0330 333 5050 the media, and the reviews section features a range Email: [email protected] of new books for young readers and for English teachers. Director: Jonathan Morgan [email protected] Gary Snapper Editor Teaching English Spring 2020 NATE | Teaching English | Issue 22 | 01 Contents 10 12 17 20 24 28 33 42 45 45 49 53 57 59 61 61 66 83 84 02 | NATE | Teaching English | Issue 22 | News and Views 45-48 Mind the Gap! 04-09 by Raina Parker and Carol Robertson News and What’s On Perspectives on the Transition from Primary to Secondary English 10-11 A View from the Chair: Rebuilding 49-52 English 8 Ways to Teach Spelling, Punctuation by Peter Thomas and Grammar by Francis Gilbert | Features: ‘Big Picture’ English 53-56 Putting the Art in English 12-13 by Anna Foster English – Shared Futures Opportunities for creativity in the English curriculum by Robert Eaglestone 57-58 14-16 Learning to Teach English KS3 English in England: A NATE by Clare Lawrence Position Paper RQT perspectives on the Secondary English PGCE by NATE Management Committee 59-60 17-19 ‘Ah Ha!’ and ‘Ha Ha!’ Hand, Head, Heart and Voice by Martin Billingham by Helen Mars Teaching and Stand-Up comedy Reclaiming KS4 English from the GCSE syllabus 61-63 20-23 39 Steps to Engaging with Poetry Generation Z: Independent Thinking by Trevor Millum and Chris Warren by Claire Feeney Independent study for A Level English Language students 64-65 The EMC Column: ‘Big Picture’ Writing 24-27 by Andrew McCallum Chains of Thought by Mick Connell 66-70 Remembering the LINC project Findings: Developing Writers as a Developing Teacher 28-32 by Vincent Byrne Macbeth: From Book to Videogame by Andrew Burn | Reviews and Columns 33-41 71-79 Big Picture English: Beyond the Book Box Brushstrokes by Barbara Bleiman 80-82 The NATE Harold Rosen Lecture 2019 Texts for Teachers 42-44 83 Daring to be a Writer by Jonathan Morgan Media Studies by Tom Rank Arvon Creative Writing Retreats for Teachers 84 The Teacher Feature: Anthony Cockerill NATE | Teaching English | Issue 22 | 03 NATE News English: Shared Futures Teacher rate of £30 announced for day of CPD workshops for English teachers at national conference English teachers from around the UK are Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me. There to bring together the two phases to discuss being encouraged to attend a major cross- will also be a session on The State of Secondary the past, present and future of the subject. discipline conference in Manchester in July English and the Shape of Things to Come led by More broadly, it is hoped that teachers – 2020 – English: Shared Futures. Organised IFTE Chair Andy Goodwyn and NATE Post- especially post-16 teachers – who attend the by the English Association and University 16 Committee Chair Rachel Roberts. whole conference will be able to develop their English, and supported by NATE, NAWE NATE’s CPD workshops will be led subject knowledge across all aspects of English and the Institute of English Studies, the by NATE Chair Peter Thomas (Visual and by dipping in to the wide range of seminars conference aims to help English teachers in Verbal Literacy through Media Study), Vice- which represent what is happening in English two key ways – through a special teachers’ Chair Raina Parker (Creative and Independent – language, literature, and creative writing – CPD day on the Saturday of the conference Thinking through Poetry), Director Jonathan in universities today. There will be over 200 (Saturday 27th June), and through the Morgan (Scriptwriting to inspire Young Writers) sessions, a range of speakers including David broader exploration of the discipline which and Teaching English editor Gary Snapper Crystal and Ali Smith, and a number of special will take place throughout the conference. (Developing Literary Awareness in Sixth Form topics including decolonising the curriculum; The teachers’ day – for which day tickets Poetry). literature, language, creativity and music; and are on sale at the special rate of £30 – will The conference as a whole will celebrate ‘applied English’. include four CPD workshops for KS3-KS5 all manifestations of English as a subject run by NATE, and key speaker poet Kate and discipline. Throughout the conference, To book, and for further details, see the conference’s Clanchy talking about her work as a poet some sessions will include participants from website, www.englishsharedfutures.uk, and on in schools, drawing from her recent book Some both HE and secondary English, seeking pages 12–13 of this edition of Teaching English.
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